Lone Police Officer Charged In Breonna Taylor Shooting Case Pleads Not Guilty

The lone Kentucky detective charged in connection with the fatal shooting of Breonna Taylor pleaded not guilty Monday.

Brett Hankison’s plea comes five days after a grand jury indicted him on three counts of wanton endangerment for firing into the home of Taylor’s neighbors. The grand jury declined to charge Hankison or the other two undercover narcotics officers who opened fire inside Taylor’s house on the night of March 13 with her shooting.

Hankison’s lawyer asked that his client be allowed to keep firearms for self-defense. He said Hankison, who was fired in June, “has received a number of threats.” The judge turned down the request.

The decision not to charge the officers set off protests in Louisville and across the country. Louisville’s mayor lifted the curfew Monday that had been in place after many people refused to stop their nighttime protests.

“The curfew served its purpose of helping ensure that most people were home safe by 9 p.m., because our past experience had shown that most violence and destruction occurs after dark,” the mayor’s statement said.

“We sadly saw some violence, including the shooting of two police officers, one of whom remains hospitalized, dealing with complications of his injuries. But we believe the curfew helped, by ensuring fewer people were out late in the day.”

Taylor was shot multiple times after her boyfriend opened fire as officers entered her home during a narcotics raid, authorities said. Taylor’s boyfriend said he didn’t know who was coming in and fired in self-defense. One officer was wounded.

A coroner’s report obtained Monday says Taylor was shot five times and died of multiple gunshot wounds. It says she was hit in the torso, her upper left extremity and both lower extremities. She tested negative for drugs and alcohol.

Hankison will return to court on October 28 for a pre-trial conference, WAVE-3 News reports.